Car coupler



Sept. 14, 1965 w. J. METZGER 3,206,039

CARYCOUPIJER Filed June 3, 1963 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.MA/IMJMZ'TZfZ p 1955 w. J. METZGER 3,206,039

OAR courmsn Fil n 3. 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR. MA/JMJMUZGI?United States Patent 3,206,039 CAR COUPLER William J. Metzger, EastCleveland, Ohio, assignor to National Castings Company, Cleveland, Ohio,a corporation of Ohio Filed June 3, 1963, Ser. No. 285,453 9 Claims.(Cl. 213-166) This invention relates to automatic knuckle-type railwaycar couplers and more particularly to a lock operating mechanism and toan anti-creep means for the lock.

This invention comprises a novel rotary lock-lifter which permits easyoperation of the lock to effect desired unlocking of the coupler andprecludes undesirable unlocking thereof as a result of combined end andvertical shock. The car coupler herein-after disclosed is of the typeprimarily used on railway cars, e.g., cars in commuter service, thathave buffers overhead and steam lines or other service line connectionsunderneath the coupler that preclude the use of top or bottom lockoperating mechanisms. Further, the coupler is for use on industrialequipment, such as charging cars, hot metal cars, ingot mould cars,etc., where shields are provided directly over the couplers to preventthe hot metal from entering the coupler which would otherwise fuse themobile component parts together, thereby making the coupler inoperative.

Heretofore, an automatic knuckle-type coupler employed either atop orbottom rotor member journaled to the coupler head for rotation about ahorizontal axis. Articulated members interconnected the rotor member tothe lock to operationally engage and position the lock in one of severalpositions, i.e., unlocked, lock-set, and locked. In addition, means weregenerally provided on the coupler to preclude the unlocking thereof whenthe coupler was subjected to various types of shocks. Prior to thisinvention, such anti-creep means, which revented the upward creeping ormovement of the lock, were interrelated with either the lock and couplerhead, articulated members and coupler head or rotary lock-lifter.

Hence, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a knuckletype coupler having lock control mech anism occurring at an intermediatelevel along the coupler head to enable eflicient coupler operation onrailway cars, the use or construction of which precludes the use ofconventional couplers having top or bottom lock operating mechanisms.

It is also an object to provide the lock-control mechanism-of theforegoing object in a form providing anti-cree protection.

Another object is to provide a coupler lock that may be operated byeither a conventional mechanism journaled to the underside or theupperside of a car coupler, or by the side-operated lock lifterjournaled at the rear of the coupler chamber as herein disclosed.

The above objects and others apparent hereinbelow are fulfilled in aknuckle type car coupler having the usual knuckle, vertically-pivotedknuckle thrower, a lock, and a head having a chamber receiving the lockand providing a path of movement therefor between a lower lockingosition and an upper unlocking position. The coupler differs from theprior art primarily in that it comprises a rotary lock lifter supportedby the head along a general horizontal axis located intermediatelylengthwise and rearwardly or horizontally-offset relative to the lockpath. The lock has a cavity extending lengthwise thereof opening fromthe rear surface and .a portion such as a shelf or trunnion, providing'a downwardly facing surface. The lock lifter has a lever whichcomprises a radial arm extending outwardly from its hub into the lockscavity and is of a length adapting it to remain in contact with thedownward facing surface as the lock lifter is rotated to carry the lockto its unlocking osition.

3,206,039 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 In a preferred embodiment, the radialarm terminates outwardly in a pair of fingers, having in superjacentrelation, oppositely spaced surfaces, the angular spacing of whichrelative to the lock lifter axis of rotation is greater than thatbetween the upper and lower peripheral surfaces of the trunnionalternately engaged by the fingers. Anti-creep action is provided, forexample, in this preferred embodiment by a vertical facing shoulderat-the lower end of the lock cavity disposed oppositely and adjacent thedistal end of the arm at a level substantially below that of the axis.

In the drawings, with respect to which the invention is described below:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lock and a rotary lock-lifter inaccordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view in section of a car coupler, embodyingthe invention and illustrating the com ponent parts in lock position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section of the coupler,showing the component parts in locked position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section of the couplershowing the lock-lifter in initial engagement with the lock during theprocess of opening the coupler.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the coupler along the plane of sectionsimilar to FIG. 4 but showing the lock in a lock-set condition.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of the coupler along a plane of sectionsimilar to FIG. 4 but illustrating the component parts in a fullyknuckle-thrown condition.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in section of the coupler illustrating ananti-creep means thereof engaged.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a coupler 1 comprising a head 2 and a knuckle 3which is pivotally connected to head 2 by means of the usual verticalpin (not shown). The knuckle comprises a tail portion 4 having a shelfSand a vertical lock engaging face 6 which, when the knuckle is in aclosed position, extends into a chamber 7 in the coupler head 2. Theknuckle is secured from rotation about the vertical pin by .a lock 8 onone side of the tail, engaging the face 6 of the knockle, and on theother side by an inner wall surface 9 of the coupler head 2.

The chamber 7 extends upwardly within the coupler head 2 to permit thelock 8 to move vertically and longitudinally to define a path of lockmovement. Thus, the chamber 7 is artially bound by a forward buffingWall 10 having a top internal planar surface 11, a top wall 12 having adownwardly facing surface or ceiling 13, a rear head wall 14 having afront facing surface 15, and a concave bottom wall 16 having an opening17 therein adjacent the bufiing wall 10. Thus, buffing wall 10 furtherprovides a lower rearwardly facing surface 18 of opening 17.

As viewed in FIG. 2, knuckle thrower 21,- having a knuckle engaging arm22 and a lock engaging arm 23, is pivotally positioned within the head 2rearward of the knuckle 3 so that the knuckle engaging arm 22 isdisposed adjacent the wall surface 9 and subjacent the tail portion 4 inits normal operative position. The lock engaging arm 23 is disposedrearward of the knuckle tail 4.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the lock 8 comprises a head portion 25 and adepending leg 26 which extends into the opening 17 in the lower portionof the coupler head 2 in the coupled locked position. In this position,head portin 25 of the lock rests on the shelf 5 of knuckle 3 and on atop surface 27 of lock engaging arm 23.

In order to provide a means to operationally connect the lock 8 to arotary lock-lifter 28, the head portion 25, as best viewed in FIG. 1, isprovidedwith a cavity 29 having oppositely facing interior side surfaces30 and 31, respectively, and a rearward facing concave surface 32. Thecavity 29 extends inwardly in the lengthwise'direction from a convexrear surface 33 toward a front face 34 and parallel to opposite sidesurfaces 35 and 36 of the lock. The head is further provided with aridge 37 extending widthwise along the forward margin of its top surface38. Ridge 37 provides pivotal engagement with the coupler head 2 as willbe described hereinafter.

Referring to FIG. 3, a recess 40, contiguous with and forming a lowerextremity of the cavity29 in lock 8, 'is provided to receive a finger ofthe rotary lock-lifter 28 when the lock is in its normally lockedposition. Recess 40 is partially bound by a vertical shoulder surface 41which intersects concave surface 32.

To actuate the lock 8, the rotary lock-lifter 28 comprises a rotormember 45 having a shaft 46 horizontally journaled to the coupler head2, rearward of the lock. The axis of the shaft is perpendicular to thelength of the coupler and bridges the coupler chamber 7 atan'intermediate level along the vertical component of the path ofmovement of the lock 8. Hence, the axis of the shaft is horizontallyoffset with respect to the path. Journal portions 47, 48 and 49 of theshaft are disposed in complementary bearingportions 50, 51 and 52 of thecoupler head 2. The shaft 46 has a radially projecting key 53 whichoperatively connects a lever 55 to the shaft. Rotor eyes 56 and 57 arespaced at the distal ends of the shaft to which conventional operatingrods (not shown) carried on opposite sides of a car may be connected inthe usual manner.

. The lever 55 of the rotary lock-lifter 28 extends transversely fromthe axis of the shaft 46 generally parallel to the vertical longitudinalplane of the coupler. The lever comprises a body having a hub 61 at oneend in telescopic engagement with rotor shaft 46 rearward of lock 8 inthe coupler chamber 7. The hub 61 is further provided with a slot 63adapted to receive the key 53 to operatively connect the lever to anoperating rod.

An arm 64' of the lever extends outwardly from the hub 61 apredetermined distance and is adapted to be received in the cavity 29 ofthe lock 8 to operatively connect the lock to the rotary lock-lifter 28.The arm 64 terminates in lower and upper fingers 64a and 64brespectively, which are spaced at an angle about the axis of the shaft46. The fingers 64a and 64b have inner concave surfaces 65 and 66respectively, which are usually in vertically spaced relation withsurface 65 below the surface 66. When the lock is in its normally lockedposition of FIG. 3, surfaces 65 and 66, and especially the finger 64a,are disposed beneath the axis of the rotor shaft 46 and in spacedsuperposed relation to the lock engaging arm 23 of knuckle thrower 21.

It is to be noted that the plane which contains the vertical surface 41defining the forward side of the lock recess 40, when extended upwardly,is disposed at a horizontal distance from the axis of shaft 46 less thanthe radial distance between the distal end of finger 64a and the rotorshaft axis.

Disposed within cavity 29 intermediately of both its horizontal andvertical dimensions and spaced upwardly from recess 40 is a leverengaging element 67 which connects with the interior surfaces 30 and 31and bridges the cavity 29. The peripheral surface of element 67 providesan upwardly facing and a downwardly facing surface 68 and 69,respectively, which are in alternate operational engagement with thedownwardly and upwardly Y facing surfaces 66 and 65, respectively, oflever 55, as will hereinafter be described. The fingers are angularlyspaced at a distance greater than the spacing of surfaces 68 and 69 inorder that the arm has such free movement relative to the lock element67 as to enable the design of the lever 55, the lock, and the couplerhead to provide anti-creep and lock-setting functions.

The operation of the lock-lifter and associated component parts of thecar coupler is as follows:

To uncouple two opposing car couplers by opening the knuckle of onecoupler, the operating rod is actuated in the usual manner to rotatelock-lifter 28 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3, andthereby carry the lever 55 in an arc upwardly from its normal position.Thus, the downwardly facing surface 66 of lever 55, which normally restson the lock element 67, is moved out of its abutting relation therewithand the upwardly facing surface 65 of the lever is moved into engagementwith the surface 69 of element 67, as viewed in FIG. 4. Meanwhile, thedistal end of the finger 64a moves out of adjacent opposition with itsanti-creep counterpart, the lock recess surface 41. Further rotation'raises lock 8 in a vertical direction through knuckle unlocking andknuckle throwing stages.

- As lock 8 moves upwardly, the front face 34 of the lock head and therear surface 71 of depending leg 26 are in sliding engagement withinternal planar surface 11 of buffing wall 10 and front convex surface70 of knuckle thrower 21 respectively. Prior to the entering of theupper ridge 37 of the lock into a notch 72 at the juncture of planarsurface 11 and the ceiling 13, the lower forwardly sloping area 73 ofthe front lock face 34 engages the surface 11. Further upward movementearns the lock rearwardly as a lock-set seat 75 on the leg 26 moves intoposition over the top'surface 27 of the thrower arm 23. Upon release ofthe operating rod, the lock-set seat 75 engages the top surface 27thereby placing the coupler in a lock-set condition as viewed in FIG. 5.As is well known in the art, under such a condition, the knuckle is freeto rotate from the locked position to the unlocked position uponwithdrawal of an opposing coupler coupled therewith.

To position the knuckle of an uncoupled car'coupler in a fully thrownor-open condition so that two opposing car couplers may be connected,the lock-lifter 28 is rotated in the clockwise direction as hereinabovementioned. Asthe lock 8 completes movement upwardly, the ridge 37 on thelock 8 enters the notch 72 in the ceiling 13 of the coupler head 2.Thereafter the lock is pivoted about 'a fulcrum formed by the ridge andnotch. As the lock pivots, the depending leg 26 swings in a rearwarddirection until a heel 76 of the leg engages the front convex surface 70on the knuckle thrower 21. Further movement of lock 8 rearwardly pivotsthe knuckle thrower 21 about its axis to cause engagement of a forwardsurface 77 of knuckle engaging arm 22 with a pad 78 on knuckle 3,

thereby pivoting the knuckle to the open position of FIG. 6. Uponrelease of the operating rod, the lock 8 is maintained in the fullythrown position by the open knuckle.

To permit the lock-lifter to be rotated to the fully thrown condition,ceilingv 13 is provided with a longitu- 'rinally extending recessedportion 80 intermediate the front'bufiing wall 10 and rear head wall 14which is adapted to receive a distal extremity 81 of finger 64b. Therecess 80 includes the upper limit of the arcuate ambit of .the lever 55and is in vertical alignmenttherewith when the coupler is in the fullyunlocked position.

Intercoupled couplers are usually subjected to either a vertical or acombined end and vertical shock condition. Such condition generallyallows the lock to assume a lockset position if means are not providedto restrict the upward movement of the lock. In order to preclude theunintentional upward movement of the lock from its respective normalposition as viewed in FIG. 3, the distal end of lever 55 is providedwith a flat end surface 85 which is in spaced opposed adjacent relationwith the 'vertical surface 41 at a level substantially below that of thehorizontal axis of shaft 46. Further, surfaces 41 and 85 are disposed atradii relative to the axis of the shaft 46 greater than the radius orhorizontal distance of the vertical surface 41 with respect to the axisof the shaft when moved into a horizontal relation therewith.

Upon the application of end shock, etc., the lock 8 moves upwardly.Since the rotary lock-lifter is maintained in the proper pre-jshockinitial position by means of the finger 64b resting on the. element 67,the lock, in

being thrown upwardly, rotates the lock-lifter and causes the finger 64ato jam against the surface 41. In doing so, the lock 8 and lever 55 movethereafter in unison. That is, further upward movement of the lockforces the rotary lock-lifter 28 to continue its arcuate ambit whileforcing the lock forwardly relative to its upward movement. As a resultthe top portion of front face 34 of the lock head 25 engages the bufiingwall surface 11. Simultaneously therewith, toe 86 of depending leg 26engages the lower buffing wall surface 18. Thus, the lock is forced intoa wedging relation relative to the coupler head and rotary lock-lifterthereby preventing further upward movement of the lock. Accordingly, thelock is maintained in a position which is slightly raised with respectto its usual locking position but nevertheless, retains the coupler inlocked conditioon.

As an alternate means of actuating the lock 8 hereinabove disclosed, thelower portion of depending leg 26 is provided with a slot 90 whichextends from the toe 86 upwardly and rearwardly towards heel 76. Thesloping slot 90 is adapted to receive the usual trunnion of a locklifterlink thereby providing a pivotable and slidable connection whichoperationally interconnects the usual bottom operated lock-lifter, wellknown in the art, to the lock. Thus, the lock, as disclosed herein, maybe used as a component part in either a bottom operated lock-lifter carcoupler or a side operated lock-lifter car coupler.

The novel lock-lifter mechanism as described hereinabove provides asanti-creep mechanism, a positive means to prevent the disengagement ofthe lock-lifter from its relative position with the lock. Further, theone-piece or unitary constructed lock-lifter performs all the necessaryfunctions upon the lock to obtain the coupler conditions of lock-set andanti-creep. In addition, the leverage obtained by the overallconfiguration of the lock-lifter results in positive and easy operationto perform the intended functions.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation and there is no intention of excludingsuch equivalents of the invention described or of the portions thereofas fall within the purview of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A car coupler comprising:

a lock having a cavity opening along a rear surface of the lock, andmeans in said cavity providing a downward facing surface;

a coupler head having a chamber receiving said lock and providing a pathof movement therefor between a lower locking position and an upperunlocking position;

a rotary lock-lifter having a shaft supported by the head rearwardly ofsaid path and extending through said chamber, said shaft traversing saidchamber along a generally horizontal axis perpendicular to the length ofthe coupler; and

said lock-lifter further comprising a lever connected to said shaft forrotation therewith within said chamber, said lever extending radiallyoutward and transversely from said shaft within said chamber in adirection downwardly and forwardly from said shaft and lengthwise of thecoupler through said rear surface into said cavity, when the lock is ina locking position;

means in said cavity on said lock for engaging the lever to provide alower position of rest for the lever, said lever being of a length forengaging said downward facing surface after an initial arcuate movementof the lever upwardly from said lower position of rest preparatory tolifting said lock upwardly to said unlocking position.

2. The car coupler of claim 1 wherein:

said lever has a distal end surface and said lock has within saidcavity, a vertical shoulder surface in spaced opposed adjacent relationwith said end sur face at said locking position of the lock; and

said surfaces are disposed at radii relative to said axis greater thanthe radius of said vertical surface with respect to said axis when movedinto horizontal relation therewith, said vertical surface and said endsurface engaging at a level substantially below that of said axis whenthe lock and the lever move upwardly in unison from respective lowerpositions to limit the upward movement of the lock along said path.

3. A car coupler comprising:

a lock having a cavity opening along a rear surface of the lock, andmeans in said cavity providing a downward facing surface and an upwardfacing surface in vertical spaced relation therewith;

a coupler head having a chamber which receives said lock and provides apath of movement therefor between a lower locking position and an upperunlocking position;

a rotary lock-lifter supported by the head rearward of said lock along agenerally horizontal axis perpendicular to the length of the coupler andlocated in intermediately-length-wise and horizontally-offset relationwith said path;

the lock lifter having a lever extending transversely from said axis andgenerally parallel to the longitudinal plane of the coupler through saidrear surface into said cavity; said lever, within said cavity in saidlower position, having an upward facing surface and a downward facingsurface in opposed relation with said downward and upward facingsurfaces, respectively, of the lock.

4. The car coupler of claim 3 wherein:

said lock and the lever, at the lower position of the lock, havegenerally vertically extending surfaces in opposed adjacent relation ata level substantially below that of said axis;

said lever being rotatable with respect to the lock while in said lowerposition, to transfer said opposed surface of the lever out of saidopposed relationship and to dispose its upward facing surface againstthe downward facing surface of the lock in preparation for lifting thelock.

5. The car coupler of claim 3 wherein:

said means comprises a lever engaging element disposed mteriorly of saidcavity intermediately of the bottom and top thereof and providing saidupward and downward facing surfaces of the lock; and

the lever terminates in two fingers spaced at an angle about said axisand providing said upward and downward surfaces of the lever having agreater spacing than said surfaces of said element.

6. I The car coupler of claim 5 wherein:

said lock has a recess extending inwardly from said rear surface to forma lower extremity of said cavity and a surface 1n said recess facingoutwardly toward the plane of the rear surface; and

said fingers are spaced to enable the upper finger to rest on saidelement with the lower finger disposed in adjacent opposed relation withsaid recess surface;

said lower finger and the recess surface being spaced,

when in said opposed relationship, for rotary movement of the lockliftercarrying the lower finger out the recess and into lifting engagementwith the element.

7. In a car coupler having a head, a pivoted knuckle, a knuckle throwerand a vertically movable lock for maintaining said knuckle in a closedposition, a chamber in said head receiving the tail of the knuckle, thethrower, and the lock, a Providing a P of movement for said lock betweena lower locking position and an upper unlocking position, said lockhaving a head portion and a depending leg extending downwardly into anopening in said chamber,

3,206,039 7 8 said knuckle thrower having a lock engaging arm, gaging,when the lock and the lever move upwardly said head portion having afront face and a rear surin unison, to urge said look into wedgrngrelatlon face, and a rotary locklifter comprising: with said wall andsaid lever. I a rotor member horizontally journaled to said head 9. Alock for the knuckle of a car coupler eompnsrng: rearward of said lock;a head portion having a face adapted to face frontward a lever attachedto said rotor member for rotation at the operative position within acoupler and extherewith upon actuation of said member, the other tendingin the lengthwise direction of the lock beend of said lever normallyoverlying a portion of tween opposite ends of the head portion; saidthrower arm when said knuckle is in the closed 21 depending leg forengaging a knuckle-thrower and position, said other end having anupwardly facing extending away from the normally lower end of theabutment surface and a downwardly facing abutment head portion in saiddirection; f e angularly spaced f th th r abutment the head portionhaving a convex rear surface opposite surface about axis of said member,I Said face, said head portion of said lock provided with a cavity aCavity extending lnwardly of the head portion from adapted to receivesaid other end of the lever, Said Sald fear Surface toward said face,

cavity extending inwardly of the head portion from a recess contiguouswith, and forming a lower rearward portion of said cavity below theremainder of the cavity and adapted for receiving the distal end of alever, said recess having a substantially vertical surface intersectinga bottom surface formed by said cavity and adapted to engage an endsurface on said distal end of said lever, and

lever-engaging element spaced upwardly from said recess in saidlengthwise direction and bridging said said cavity.

8. The car coupler of claim 7 wherein: a

said head has a vertical bufling wall providing a planar surfaceinteriorly of the head adapted to slidably engage the face of said lockand a lower rearwardly facing surface below said opening adapted toslidably engage the leg of said lock when said knuckle is in the closedposition,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,122,136 12/14Linderholm 213134 sa1d other end of said lever havlng an end surface; 1201 7 10/16 Blackmore 213 162 said lock having a recess adapted forreceiving Said 2 23 550 12 Richards 213 2 other lever end, said recessforming a lower portion 13 2 Metzoer 2 of said cavity providing avertical surface disposed 2 97 4 1 Metzger 13 1 2 in spaced opposedadjacent relation with the lever end surface when said knuckle is in aclosed posi- 35 FOREIGN PATENTS 620,157 5/61 Canada.

said vertical surface and said end surface being disposed at longerradii relative to the axis of said rotor member and greater than that ofsaid vertical surface when disposed in horizontal relation with saidaxis, said vertical surface and said end surface en MILTON BUCHLER,Primary Examiner.

LEO QUACKENBUSH, Examiner.

9. A LOCK FOR THE KNUCKLE OF A CAR COUPLER COMPRISING: A HEAD PORTIONHAVING A FACE ADAPTED TO FACE FRONTWARD AT THE OPERATIVE POSITION WITHINA COUPLER AND EXTENDING IN THE LENGTHWISE DIRECTIONN OF THE LOCK BETWEENOPPOSITE ENDS OF THE HEAD PORTION; A DEPENDING LEG FOR ENGAGING AKNUCKLE-THROWER AND EXTENDING AWAY FROM THE NORMALLY LOWER END OF THEHEAD PORTIONN IN SAID DIRECTION; THE HEAD PORTION HAVING A CONVEX REARSURFACE OPPOSITE SAID FACE, A CAVITY EXTENDING INWARDLY OF THE HEADPORTION FROM SAID REAR SURFACE TOWARD SAID FACE, A RECESS CONTIGUOUSWITH, AND FORMING A LOWER REARWARD PORTION OF SAID CAVITY BELOW THEREMAINDER OF THE CAVITY AND ADAPTED FOR RECEIVING THE DISTAL END OF ALEVER, SAID RECESS HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLYY VERTICAL SURFACE INTERSECTINGA BOTTOM SURFACE FORMED BY SAID CAVITY AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AN ENDSURFACE ON SAID DISTAL END OF SAID LEVER, AND A LEVER-ENGAGING ELEMENTSPACED UPWARDLY FROM RECESS IN SAID LENGTHWISE DIRECTIONN AND BRRIDGINGSAID SAID CAVITY.